Numbers 32

1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a great number of cattle: and when they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was a good place for cattle;

2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the meeting,

3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, are suitable for livestock—and your servants have livestock.”

The land which the Lord gave into the hands of the children of Israel, is a land for cattle, and your servants have cattle.

5 “If we have found favor in your sight,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

And they said, With your approval, let this land be given to your servants as their heritage: do not take us over Jordan.

6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?

And Moses said to the children of Gad and the children of Reuben, Are your brothers to go to the war, while you take your rest here?

7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

Why would you take from the children of Israel the desire to go over into the land which the Lord has given them?

8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.

So did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.

9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.

For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they took from the children of Israel the desire to go into the land which the Lord had given them.

10 So the anger of the LORD was kindled that day, and He swore an oath, saying,

And at that time the Lord was moved to wrath, and made an oath, saying,

11 ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—

Truly, not one of the men of twenty years old and over who came out of Egypt will see the land which I gave by oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; because they have not been true to me with all their heart;

12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

But only Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua, the son of Nun: because they have been true to the Lord.

13 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation who had done evil in His sight was gone.

Then the Lord was angry with Israel, and he made them wanderers in the waste land for forty years? till all that generation who had done evil in the eyes of the Lord was dead.

14 Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.

And now you have come to take the place of your fathers, another generation of sinners, increasing the wrath of the Lord against Israel.

15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”

For if you are turned away from him, he will send them wandering again in the waste land; and you will be the cause of the destruction of all this people.

16 Then the Gadites and Reubenites approached Moses and said, “We want to build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones.

Then they came to him, and said, We will make safe places for our cattle here, and towns for our little ones;

17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.

But we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel till we have taken them to their place: but our little ones will be safe in the walled towns against the people of the land.

18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has taken possession of his inheritance.

We will not come back to our houses till every one of the children of Israel has come into his heritage.

19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

For we will not have our heritage with them on the other side of Jordan and forward; because our heritage has come to us on this side of Jordan to the east.

20 Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,

Then Moses said to them, If you will do this, arming yourselves to go before the Lord to the war,

21 and if every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD, until He has driven His enemies out before Him,

Every armed man of you going across Jordan before the Lord till he has overcome and sent in flight all who are against him,

22 then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD.

And the land is under the rule of the Lord: then after that you may come back, having done no wrong to the Lord and to Israel; and this land will be yours for your heritage before the Lord.

23 But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

But if you do not do this, then you are sinners against the Lord; and you may be certain that your sin will have its reward.

24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”

So get to work building your towns for your little ones, and safe places for your sheep; and do as you have said.

25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, “Your servants will do just as our lord commands.

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben said to Moses, Your servants will do as my lord says.

26 Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.

Our little ones, our wives, and our flocks, and all our cattle, will be there in the towns of Gilead;

27 But your servants are equipped for war, and every man will cross over to the battle before the LORD, just as our lord says.”

But your servants will go over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to the fight, as my lord says.

28 So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua, the son of Nun, and to the heads of families of the tribes of the children of Israel.

29 And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

And Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben go with you over Jordan, every man armed for the fight before the Lord, and all the land is given into your hands, then let them have the land of Gilead for a heritage:

30 But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

But if they do not go over with you armed, they will have to take their heritage with you in the land of Canaan.

31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben said, As the Lord has said to your servants, so will we do.

32 We will cross over into the land of Canaan armed before the LORD, that we may have our inheritance on this side of the Jordan.”

We will go over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and you will give us our heritage on this side of Jordan.

33 So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.

So Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad and the children of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, all the land with its towns and the country round them.

34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,

And the children of Gad were the builders of Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer;

35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

And Atroth-shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah;

36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

And Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran: walled towns and shut-in places for sheep.

37 The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

And the children of Reuben were the builders of Heshbon and Elealeh and Kiriathaim;

38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. And they renamed the cities they rebuilt.

And Nebo and Baal-meon, (their names being changed, ) and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the towns they made.

39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

And the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, went to Gilead and took it, driving out the Amorites who were living there.

40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

And Moses gave Gilead to Machir, the son of Manasseh; and he made it his living-place.

41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

And Jair, the son of Manasseh, went and took the towns of Gilead, naming them Havvoth-Jair.

42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.

And Nobah went and took Kenath and its small towns, naming it Nobah, after himself.